Obama right on fighting terrorism

April 2, 2009

President Barack Obama deserves credit for his politically risky decision to step up U.S. involvement in the war against terrorism in Afghanistan. Much of his base in the November election consisted of anti-war folks. They may begin labeling Afghanistan as "Obama's war."

During a Friday press conference, Obama announced that 4,000 more U.S. troops are being sent to Afghanistan. That is in addition to the 17,000 additional troops he approved earlier this year.

Obama emphasized that his goal is to "disrupt, dismantle and defeat" al-Qaida and Taliban terrorist units in Afghanistan. That will not be easy. If anything, Afghanistan presents challenges more difficult to solve than those faced by U.S. forces in Iraq.

Those challenges must be faced and overcome. The Islamic terrorists Obama wants to destroy are Americans' fiercest enemies. The president is right in his belief that simply allowing them to exist is a threat to us.